TCU quarterback Andy Dalton, not only studied enough film to know every seam in Wisconsin’s vaunted defense, he also knew his political terminology. That’s more than can be said for the veteran ESPN crew announcing the game.

During all the Rose Bowl interviews, the big redhead spoke of TCU and all the “non-AQ” schools excluded from automatic qualifying conferences.

To the Rose Bowl announcing crew of Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit, they were just “little guys.” I didn’t count but it sure seemed there were more mention of “little guys” than crediting the Mountain West Conference. It set back political correctness decades to before the dreaded “non-BCS” tag.

Sophomore defenseman William Wrenn has bolted DU and joined major-junior’s Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. You can read the news versions about Wrenn’s midseason move online right now at www.denverpost.com/sports and in Tuesday’s paper.

Here’s my opinion: I hate to see a young guy leave school for a limited-time, hockey-only opportunity, particularly when it’s in the middle of the season. He’s turning down a marquee education and quitting the preferred NHL route he and his family chose before he left the U.S. under-18 team as captain and was selected in the second round (43rd overall) by the San Jose Sharks in the 2009 NHL draft.

That said, I think the split will serve both parties well, because it didn’t appear as if Wrenn was going to become the impact DU defenseman most of us forecasted. Although he struggled with hip and groin injuries throughout his tenure at DU – he had major hip surgery in Vail last spring — Wrenn was never better than the sixth or seventh D-man, and the only reason he probably played in as many games as he did (41) is because he was such a high-profile NHL prospect. The Sharks, of course, need Wrenn to develop, and if DU doesn’t play him, a good relationship could turn sour. It’s just the way it works.

DU fabulous freshman Jason Zucker, who has missed the past two U.S. World Junior games in Buffalo, is expected to play in tonight’s semifinal tilt against Canada (5:30 p.m., NHL Network). Zucker’s father, Scott Zucker, said his son has been medically cleared.

Jason was playing on a line with DU sophomore and Denver native Drew Shore before being knocked out from a flagrant elbow by a Slovakian player last week. Shore and Zucker — who each have a team-high 14 goals for DU — likely will resume playing together.

On a somber note, Canada’s Jaden Schwartz — Colorado College’s star freshman — will miss the game with a broken ankle. Schwartz, who suffered the injury last week, said he would remain in Buffalo and support his teammates.

You know it’s a new year when it’s the first Mountain West men’s basketball teleconference call of the season and most of the coaches are still in good mood. After all, everyone is unbeaten _ in conference play at least.

Just as football was a very special year for the MWC, basketball is starting the same way. San Diego State is 15-0, the first team to go into league play undefeated. Unlike TCU’s Rose Bowl champs, the Aztecs have no plans to bolt the MWC.

Some of the coaches were in midseason form with their one-liners.

San Diego State’s Steve Fisher on scheduling difficulty for a veteran team this year: “We’ll lose five guys plus possibly a sixth (if Kawhi Leonard goes out early) and we may have everyone in America wanting to play us next year.”

TCU coach Jim Christian on carryover from football success: “We have to provide enthusiasm. People aren’t going to be coming to basketball games because our football team won the Rose Bowl.”

BYU coach Dave Rose on Jimmer Fredette’s reputation preceding him in the MWC: “The last 15 teams have known he’s the guy to defend.”

The Colorado men’s basketball team (10-4) will open its final Big 12 season on Saturday with an 11:30 a.m. home game against a hot Missouri squad (13-1) featuring the conference’s two reigning players of the week.

On Monday, Missouri junior guard Marcus Denmon was named Big 12 player of the week, and Tigers junior guard Matt Pressey, a junior college transfer, earned Big 12 newcomer-of-the-week honors.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.